The adventure journal of Elaine and Daniel Vardamis

03/12/2014

Powder Reflections

And the blitz continues. After what can only be described as the scratchiest ski of the season last night...well, the heavens opened up today. Our goal this morning was simple: head as far back into the Wilderness as possible. But, skiing is a fluid sport, dictated by the whims and ways of nature. So we adapted. It's what you do when it's snowing three inches an hour and the world is a snow globe.

Elaine had it right. Let's make some turns, she said, an hour into our skin west. Heck yeah. So turns we found. Made a hard left from the lake and found the perfect open bowl...great snow and good steepness. We were still back there, seven miles from the trailhead in a place just about nobody ventures too. It's deep in and it's amazing. It's hard work getting back there too, which makes it rewarding as everything to get there, ski it, and come back home, smile, remember and relax. And scheme how to do it all over again.

I've been shooting more photos and writing more lately. I've even been drawing a bit. As a result, I've been getting a lot of really nice comments from people about my pictures and words lately, and how Elaine and I seem to make the most of life and get out there whenever we want.

Damn, I wish that was true. We work full-time...sometimes more than full-time. But I do think there is a certain stubborness about us NOT to give into the mundane parts of life. It's why we ski everyday, why we live in Eldora, why we keep fighting that fight. Maybe it's born from how we got together in the first place, a remnant of the us-against-the-world chip on our shoulder. If that means waking up at 4 am to go ski something in the dark before work, so be it.

These people though, they are so nice. Amazing really. It makes us feel good. I feel like I don't deserve it, to be honest. We're nothing special...well, my wife is beyond special, but I'm a pretty damned flawed human. I've made a lot of mistakes. I've fucked up in my life. I've hurt people deeply and I've handled certain situations with a lack of grace that stuns me.

What to do though? Beating yourself up only goes so far. You get back up and try to be better. That's all you can do. And if somehow I'm an example for people on how to live life to the fullest, and can make other people's lives better and pursue their dreams, than that is a gift that I've been blessed with and don't take lightly. As a leader at my place of work, I'm given that opportunity. To make the entire staff's goals a reality, to encourage them to live their dreams, not just dream them.

I haven't lost perspective of what days like today mean. You go to the bottom, and you really appreciate the top. We follow our dreams until we have the boldness to take the giant leap to make them happen. And until then, I realize that the more and more days I have like this, the closer I'm getting to that dream.

Love, mountains, creativity: two of the three elements - the former two - are present. And I feel like the third is getting closer by the day. To be creative and great, you have to create like it's your mission. The great painters weren't great because they could paint at birth. The great painters were great because they painted a lot.

1 Comment

It looks you had a blast on the mountain! I would love to go skiing, but the weather here is too warm now. I miss it already. Hopefully the powder will be back soon so I can go with some buddies.
Jayden Eden | http://www.coastalmountain.ca/our-services/